Double line spacer and micrometer mechanism for ruling machines



Sept. 12, 1961 R. s. SHELLY 2,999,318

DOUBLE LINE SPACER AND MICROMETER MECHANISM FOR RULING MACHINES Filed March 3, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. ROBERT S. SHELLY Se t. 12, 1961 R. s. SHELLY 2,999,313

DOUBLE LINE SPACER AND MICROMETER MECHANISM FOR RULING MACHINES Filed March 3, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ROBERT S. SHELLY Utah Filed Mar. 3, 1958, Ser. No. 718,648 12 Clailmso (CI. 33-81) This invention relates to double line spacer and micrometer mechanism for parallel ruling apparatus of the type forming the subject of my copending application Serial No. 473,644 filed December 7, 1954, and entitled, Parallel Ruling Apparatus. Such apparatus is designed specifically for producing various business, professional, and scientific ruled sheets and forms for different purposes, a typical use being business inventory forms.

In that copending application there is shown a work table embodying a light box having a translucent work surface for supporting a sheet of paper or other material to be ruled. Ruling mechanism is mounted on the work table and comprises a straightedge movable up and down over the sheet of paper, a traveling dividing head associated with the straight edge, and a fixed-position indexing mechanism.

The dividing head with its straightedge is arranged to be moved in successive increments determined by any particular setting of the indexing mechanism, the latter being set manually by the operator by mean of an indexed handwheel. Such handwheel is supported for manual rotation, and, through a set of gears, operates a lead screw which moves the indexing head.

The actual ruling is eifected manually by the operator, who uses an appropriate stylus along the straightedge. Indexing may be in terms of one hundredths of an inch, sixty-fourths of an inch, or seventy-seconds of an inch to conform with spacing on a decimal basis, the usual typewriter spacing, or printers measure.

The present invention aims to provide mechanism for this apparatus which permits double lines to be ruled in properly spaced relationship with single lines and without disturbing any given setting of the indexed handwheel. In accomplishing this, the mechanism is so designed as to require no change in the construction of the apparatus; hence, it may be installed on machines already on the market or in use, which is important.

The invention particularly aims to provide for the ruling of double lines spaced equally, respectively, above and below the place where a single line would be ruled if the normal indexing of the handwheel were followed, whereby any desired combination of double and single lines may be ruled, and the double lines will always be symmetrically spaced relative to the other lines ruled on the sheet. The structural arrangement provided for this also permits the ruling of an extra heavy, two point rule, or a medium, one point rule.

In addition to the above, it is an aim of the invention to incorporate in the same mechanism a micrometer control which is accurate to one one-thousandth of an inch and which is especially useful in condensing or expanding layouts a few thousandths of an inch for shrink or stretch allowance on work to be mounted around cylinders, for laying out shrink rules, etc.

The invention has other objects and advantages which will be understood from the following description of the specific embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 represents a top plan view of the mechanism applied to the aforesaid parallel ruling apparatus, only a fragment of the latter being shown;

2,999,318 Patented Sept. 12, 1961 'ice FIG. 2, a front elevation;

FIG. 3, a side elevation viewed from the left in FIG. 2 and partly in longitudinal vertical section taken approximately on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4, an exploded view of the attachment and cooperating anchor block; and

FIG. 5, a fragmentary plan view of a typical ruled sheet produced by the apparatus incorporating the mechanism of the foregoing figures.

Referring to the drawings:

An elongate carriage 9 of angle formation is positioned in a longitudinal receiving niche or recess formed along the left side of a ruling table 10. It is slidably mounted between fixed guide rails 11 and 12 for limited longitudinal movement backwardly and forwardly of the table.

An indexing head 13 is rigidly secured to one end of the slidable carriage 9. An indexed handwheel 14, having three knobs 15, is rotatably mounted at the outer or left end of the indexing head. Three scales 16, 17, 18 and an adjustable index slide 19 with a pointer end, are associated with the indexed handwheel in accordance with my afore-referred-to copending application. Rotation of the handwheel by the left hand of the operator turns a set of bevel gears (not illustrated) housed inside of the indexing head, and these bevel gears rotate a lead screw 20, one end of which is journaled in the indexing head. Rotation of lead screw 20 causes the straightedge (not shown) to travel from top to bottom and vice versa of the sheet S, FIG. 5, which is mounted on the table by pressure-sensitive adhesive tape or the like.

Lead screw 20 is spring-loaded by a coil spring 21, thereby to eliminate backlash and give precise action. A manually operated split nut mechanism in the dividing head to which the straightedge is attached (not shown) operatively engages or disengages the lead screw. When disengaged, the dividing head may be moved rapidly along track rail 25 for a rough adjustment of the straightedge.

An anchor block 26 is secured by bolts and nuts 27 to guide rail 11. Journaled in the indexing head 13 is a stem 28, arranged to be manually turned by a knurled knob 29 fixed to its outer end against both longitudinal and rotatable movement relative thereto. On its inner end, stem 28 has screw threads 30 which are screwed into a correspondingly threaded receiving bore in block 26.

Gn stem 28' is a compression spring 31 that reacts between block 26 and the indexing head 24 to constitute a spring-loaded connection. By turning knob 29, the carriage 9 is moved longitudinally with respect to the working surface of table 10. As shown, turning knob 29 clockwise screws the stem into the block and moves carriage 9 backwardly from the operator by pressure exerted on indexing head 13. Turning the knob counterclockwise moves the carriage forwardly toward the operator by reason of the reaction of compression spring 31.

The threads 30 enable precise adjustment of the carriage to be accomplished by measured turning of the knob 29. It is to be observed that the indexing head 13, the track rail 25, the dividing head, the straightedge, and the lead screw 20 together constitute an independent unit assembly, which rides on and moves with carriage 9 for the purpose of effecting the small but important final precise positioning of the straightedge relative to the worksheet S mounted on the table 10.

Having now described the construction and operation of the parallel ruling apparatus to the extent necessary for an understanding of the present invention, the mechanism that makes it possible to rapidly and conveniently rule double lines and move the carriage with micrometer precision will now be described.

Double line spacer A control arm 35, which is a crank having a handle roller 36 on its outer end, is rigidly mounted on stem 28 against longitudinal movement, being located between knob 29 and indexing head 13. The inner end of control arm 35' is formed as a flat disk 37 coaxial with the stern and serving both the double line spacer and the mlcrometer aspects of the mechanism.

Three hardened pins 38, FIGS. 2 and 3, are secured to disk 37 so as to project outwardly from the inner face thereof parallel to the axis of stem 28. These pins 38 are arranged 120 apart and are equidistant from the stems axis.

Cooperating with the outer ends of pins 33 is a step washer 39 having three mutually similar sets of steps on that face thereof which is opposite disk 37. The steps are arranged in a circular series, each set consisting of three steps itl, 41, 42, so that there are nine steps in all. There are three steps 40 at one level, three steps 41, at a higher level and three steps 42 at a still higher level. This step washer 39 is rigidly secured by screws 43, FIG. 4, to indexing head 13.

Pins 38 simultaneously engage the three steps 40, respectively, or the three steps 41, respectively, or the three steps 42, respectively, according to the position of the control arm, and coil spring 31 acts on stem 28 to hold such pins with their extremities pressed against the surfaces of the respective steps. A flanged ring 4-4 embraces and snugly fits over the stepwasher to give a more finished appearance to the contruction.

The control arm or crank 35, because of the step washer 39, has three operative positions, viz., Up, Centered and Down. For general lining and spacing with the handwheel 14, control arm 35 is always kept in the Centered position, wherein its pins 33 contact the three steps 41 of intermediate height.

When a double line is required, for instance one of the double lines LL of FIG. 5, handwheel 14 is turned as it would be for ruling one of the single lines L. Control arm 35 is then swung by the operator to, say, the Down position, which rotates disk 37 clockwise and causes pins 38 to move from the intermediate-height steps 41 to the higher steps 42. Inasmuch as stem 28 is securely threaded in anchor block 26 and such block is rigidly secured to the table with disk 37 being rigidly mounted against longitudinal movement with respect to stem 28, this movement of pins 38 from the steps 41 to the steps 42 exerts a forcible push against indexing head 13 and causes carriage 9 and the mechanism which it carries to move backwardly along table it against the urge of spring 33. This moves the straightedge upwardly on the sheet S, from the normal single-line ruling position, by a distance equal to the difference in step height. The upper of the double lines is then ruled.

Thereafter, the operator swings the control arm 35 to the Up position, whereupon disk 37 is rotated counterclockwise and pins 38 are moved to the lower steps 40. This permits spring 31 to push indexing head 13, and the carriage 9 and associated mechanism to which such indexing head is screwed, forwardly toward the operator, which moves the straightedge downwardly on sheet S, through the normal single-line position and below it by a distance equal to the difference in step height. .The lower of the double lines is then ruled.

Since the several steps are of equal height, the upper and lower lines are equally spaced above and below the normal single-line position.

By using the full range of the control arm (from Down to Up position as described above) an extra heavy, two point (2/72 in.) line is produced when the indexing mechanism is set at printers measure. By ruling double lines and filling in between lines, widths 4 of heavy lines can be perfectly maintained without changing pens or stylus. By using only a half swing of the control arm (from Centered to Down or Centered to Up), a medium, one point line is produced. This adaptability of the attachment is especially convenient in ruling border lines and heavy dividing lines in forms, graphs, etc.

The micrometer On the front face of the disk end 37 of control arm 35, a multiplicity of small depressions or cavities 45 are provided in circular series arrangement. These are designed to receive the end of a spring-pressed pin 46 mounted in and projecting from the inner face of knob 29. As this knob is turned, pin 46 is forced out of one depression 45 and jumps into the next depression of the series, making a clicking sound. In the preferred construction, there are as many of these depressions or click stops 45 as are necessary to insure a movement of the ruling mechanism equaling 0.001 of an inch for each click. Thus, where the screw threads 29 are forty to the inch (0.25 in. per thread), there will be twentyfive click stops in the series. This makes each click represent a movement of precisely 0.001 inch. Other fractional or decimal arrangements may, of course, be used.

It will be clear that each click of knob 28 either advances or retracts the ruling mechanism 0.001 of an inch from the handwheel setting. If the ruling progresses from the top of the sheet toward the operator, a clockwise rotation of knob 28 subtracts from the handwheel setting, while a counterclockwise rotation adds to that setting. If the ruling progresses up from the operator toward the top of the sheet, a clockwise rotation of the knob adds to the handwheel setting, while a counterclockwise rotation subtracts therefrom.

The described micrometer arrangement is especially useful in condensing or expanding layouts a few thousandths of an inch for shrink or stretch allowance on work to be mounted around cylinders and for layout shrink rules, etc.

Advantageously a Vernier scale 47 is rigidly mounted on indexing head 13 and an adjustable true scale 48 is mounted on the table 10 adjacent the Vernier scale, as shown. This provides convenient means for indicating how far the straight edge has been moved during the course of several micrometer adjustments made with respect to a given worksheet.

While this invention is here illustrated and described with respect to a particular preferred construction, it should be understood that various changes may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the essential concepts thereof or the scope of the claims which here follow.

I claim:

1. In combination, an indexing head having means to position a straightedge; a block fixed to a supporting table on one side of the indexing head and spaced from said head; a stem extending through the indexing head and having at one end a screw threaded engagement with said block; a knob secured to the opposite end of the stem on the opposite side of the indexing head and adapted to rotate the stem to move the indexing head relative to said block; a step washer fixed to the indexing head near the knob, the stem passing through the step washer and rotatable relative thereto; said step washer having at least two laterally disposed steps; a control arm mounted on the stem between the knob and the step washer and secured against longitudinal movement; a pin fixed to the control arm engageable with a selected one of the steps of the step washer; and a spring means biasing said indexing head and said washer against said control arm and the said control arm against said knob to hold said pin in such engagement but yielding to permit engagement of said pin with another step as the control arm is swung.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein the spring is a coil spring mounted on the stem and bears against said block and indexing head so as to impose a thrust on the indexing head so as to hold said pin in the aforesaid yielding engagement.

3. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein the step washer has an arcuate series of steps consisting of three mutually similar sets of steps, each set comprising a low step, an intermediate step, and a high step; there being three pins fixed to the control arm and symmetrically disposed relative to the axis of said stem and projecting toward the step washer, each pin contacting a corresponding one of the steps, so that the three pins simultaneously engage the three low steps, or the three intermediate steps, or the three high steps, according to the angular position of the control arm.

4. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein the control arm has a disk end surrounding the stem; a circular series of depressions or recesses formed on said disk end on the surface facing the knob; and a spring-projected pin carried on said knob and engageable with a selected one of said recesses to constitute a micrometer adjustment controlled by the operator through the knob, said disk end carrying the step-engaging pin, which projects from the opposite surface of the disk end.

5. In combination, an indexing head having means adapted to position a straightedge; a block fixed to a supporting table on one side of the indexing head and spaced from said head; a stem extending through the indexing head and having at one end a screw threaded engagement with said block; a knob secured to the opposite end of the stem on the other side of the indexing head and adapted to rotate the stem to move the indexing head relative to said block; a spring-projected pin carried by said knob and projecting parallel to the stem axis; and a disk rotatably mounted on the stern adjacent said knob, said disk having a multiplicity of depressions formed on the side facing the knob in circular series arrangement and adapted to receive the end of said pin and constituting click stops for said knob which permit a micrometer adjustment of the stem and, hence, of the indexing head and spring means operatively associated with said indexing head urging said indexing head and said disc from said block toward said knob.

6. In combination, a carriage; guides fixed to a supporting table permitting reciprocation of the carriage relative to said table; a lead screw adapted to operate a straightedge; an indexing head secured to the carriage and in which the lead screw is journaled at one end; a stem extending through the indexing head and having screw threads on one end; a block fixedly mounted on said supporting table and engaged by said screw threads; a knob secured to the other end of the stem and adapted to rotate the stem to move the indexing head; and operator-actuated means associated with said stem and located between the knob and the indexing head to efltect limited longitudinal movement of the indexing head and carriage, and spring means operatively associated with said indexing head urging said indexing head toward said operatoractuated means.

7. The invention defined in claim 6, wherein the operator-actuated means include a control arm mounted on the stem and being enlarged adjacent the stem; a pin fixed to and projecting from the enlarged part of said control arm; a fixed step washer having at least two steps projecting laterally therefrom and engageable by the projecting end of said pin; said control arm being swingable to cause selective engagement of the steps.

8. The invention defined in claim 6, wherein there is a coil spring mounted on the stem, one end of the coil spring engaging said block, the other end of the coil spring engaging said indexing head, thereby to cause said knob and permit a micrometer adjustment of the stem and hence of the indexing head and parts attached thereto.

10. In combination, a carriage; guides fixed to a supporting table permitting reciprocation of the carriage relative to said table; an indexing head secured to the carriage; a lead screw journaled at one end in the indexing head and adapted to position a straightedge; a stem operatively associated with said indexing head; a knob on one end of the stem; screw threads on the other end of the stem; a block fixedly mounted on said table and engaged by said screw threads so that the stem may have slight longitudinal adjustment by turning said knob; a spring associated with said stem for moving the indexing head backwardly when said knob is turned in the other direction; and operator-actuated means mounted on said stem between the indexing head and the knob and acting independently of the knob to move the indexing head and carriage.

117 In a parallel ruling apparatus equipped with a straigritedge and with mechanism for moving the straightedge in predetermined increments along a ruling table, both the straightedge and said mechanism being mounted on a carriage which is itself movable along said table by means of a manually rotatable stern journaled in structure carried by and rigid with said carriage, said stem having an end threaded in structure rigid with said table and said stem, further, having means fixed thereon against longitudinal movement and bearing against structure carried by and rigid with said carriage enabling the ruling of double lines in symmetrical relationship with single lines, said apparatus being further equipped with resilient means normally urging said carriage longitudinally of the stem, from the said threaded end toward the opposite end thereof; the improvement comprising at least one set of an odd number of ascending steps arcuately arranged about said stem coaxially therewith; at least one pin confronting said steps and normally in registry with the middle step, said pin being secured to said means fixed against longitudinal movement and said steps being secured to structure carried by and rigid with said carriage, whereby the pin is normally resiliently urged toward the steps and against the particular step with which it is in registry at any given time; and rigid means associated with said means fixed against longitudinal movement for changing from any one position of pin and step registry to another.

12. The mechanism of claim 11, wherein said stem has a knob fixed thereon and wherein the said means on which the pin is mounted and from which the pin projects comprises a disk which is coaxial with the stem and secured thereon against longitudinal movement between the knob and the steps; and wherein micrometer clickstop detent means are provided between the knob and the opposite face of said disk, one of the coacting elements of said click-stop detent means being rigidly mounted on said knob and the other being rigidly mounted on said opposite face of the disk.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 618,742 Sheldon et a1 Ian. 31, 1399 1,647,246 Ogden Nov. 1, 1927 2,799,937 Lewis July 23, 1957 

